by Wolf Bird » Sun Jun 21, '15, 3:29 am
Credits rolling for Beyond Good & Evil right now. Here's the (mostly) good and (few few) bad.
Bad
Controls - While not bad-bad, the controls definitely felt rough around the edges. I just never felt as in control as I think I should have. It does not help that there is only a universal camera setting, no separate control for the X and Y axis. And unfortunately, you can either have both normal or both inverted. Well, for third person games, I like my Y axis inverted and X axis normal, so yeah. I ended up going with my X-axis set opposite how I like. Fortunately, the game doesn't have much fast-paced action, so it's totally workable. But when things DID get chaotic in combat, the camera and controls were just as much my enemy as my actual opponents.
Combat - the other thing in the game that could stand improvement. In combat, you basically have 3 things to do...mash attack, hold attack, or order you AI ally to do their special move. Yeah. Not very deep. Again, though, workable and didn't hurt the game too much as it's not based around combat and is far more an adventure-puzzle game than anything else.
Glitches - again, nothing game breaking, but I did encounter a fair few glitches. The most frequent was falling off a ledge into blackness, left with no choice but reloading my last save. The second was a known bug called the lost partner glitch - apparently, you AI allies (and you basically always have one) can randomly disappear and you need them to proceed. I got this only once...at the very end right before the final boss. Thankfully, loading my last save fixed it and I didn't have to redo all that much.
Good
Story - this is the first part where the game really shines. It draws you into its story. Not giving spoilers, but the game is quite good at making you want to play just to see where it's all going.
Characters - the other major shining point. The main three characters were all interesting, compelling and entertaining, though one of the three did start to grate my nerves and I sometimes wish he would just STOP TALKING. But the main character Jade is the game's star. It is always, ALWAYS refreshing to see a game featuring a realistic not-sexualized female lead. The villains were also interesting, in the way of feeling always present but just out of reach until the end.
Gameplay - generally good, if slow-paced. If you want fast action, look elsewhere. This game is about the story, exploration and puzzle solving. But it does those three well and if that's you want in a game with a good story and characters to boot, this is well worth it.
World - the game's world was actually bit similar to a PSX or N64 platformer, with a large overworld hub area and the levels braching off, progressively unlocking. I liked that. It helped it feel cohesive but kept reminding you of the thing you were actually trying to save. It worked. And it's a perfectly interesting, compelling world with things to see and some side missions to do.
Graphics - Overall good. As the game is somewhat cartoonishly stylized, the graphics generally hold up well despite the game being 12 years old. I did play the HD remaster on PSN, so maybe that's why, but as a rule I find stylized graphics from the earlier days of 3D age a lot better than realistic graphics.
I can definitely see both why this game often pops up on people's underrated games lists and why fans hope to see a sequel. The end, especially a scene after the credits, leaves it quite open to a sequel, with things hinted at and who/what Jade is actually supposed to BE left largely unanswered. Not to say the ending was unsatisfying, but a sequel would probably be a net benefit. And having completed it, I wouldn't mind seeing one myself, just as long as the bad things I listed get polished up a bit.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend BG&E. If you can find a physical disc for PS2, Gamecube or Xbox, go for it. Otherwise, the HD remaster on PSN and XBLA are good options.
Edit: it is also on Steam and at the time of this writing, on sale for $6 (normally $10).
Last edited by
Wolf Bird on Sun Jun 21, '15, 3:29 am, edited 2 times in total.
Next Pokemon game(s): Pearl
Last finished Pokémon game: Shield
Other games: Skyrim Special Edition (Switch), Spyro Reignited Trilogy (Switch & PS4), Okami (Switch & PS4)
Other gaming goals: completing a Living Pokedex (minus some event Pokes) and going through at least 1 game per generation